Two environmental groups are asking an Anchorage Superior Court judge to pause a program killing bears in the southwest part of the state before it gets underway later this month.

The plaintiffs in the case, the Alaska Wildlife Alliance and Center for Biological Diversity, are seeking a preliminary injunction. Their attorney as well as a lawyer for the state of Alaska argued before Superior Court Judge Adolf Zeman on Friday afternoon in Anchorage.

The state’s intensive management efforts are slated to resume this month for a fourth season. Since 2023, personnel with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game have used small airplanes and a helicopter to kill 191 bears in a remote part of Southwest Alaska between Dillingham and Bethel where the Mulchatna caribou herd calves each May.

Proponents of the program in the department and on the state Board of Game argue that predation from bears is a primary reason the Mulchatna herd has drastically declined over the last decade, and that they are required by state statute to implement policies that will increase the abundance of prey species for subsistence users and hunters.

At issue in Friday’s hearing is a dispute over whether policymakers used sufficient biological data to justify the program when it was authorized. The Mulchatna predator control policy was initially approved by the Board of Game in 2022, and in the years since, a series of legal challenges has played out in lawsuits and regulatory meetings.

The lawyer for the plaintiff, Michelle Sinnott, said the emergency request for an injunction is needed because there could be irreparable environmental harm if the state goes forward with aerial gunning this month.

“The state will start killing bears any day now under an unconstitutional predator control program,” Sinnott argued.

Much of the plantiffs’ argument that the program is illegal under Alaska laws hinges on the assertion that the Board of Game and state wildlife managers don’t have enough credible data on the region’s bear population to responsibly justify removing hundreds in a few years without causing ecological devastation. The injunction, they argued, is necessary because time is of the essence, and letting the constitutional challenge play out along the court’s normal timelines is insufficient.

“(The state) could kill a hundred more bears before being told once again that it needs bear population data,” Sinnott said. “Killing a bear permanently removes that bear from the landscape. That harm is irreparable.”

Kimberly Del Frate, the lawyer for the state, disputed that there was insufficient data weighed by the Board of Game when it reauthorized the bear cull program last summer.

“The plaintiff’s case is built upon a foundation of an incorrect and faulty premise. What became clear through the plaintiff’s argument is that their understanding of the record is that the Board considered nothing new and no data in July of 2025,” Del Frate said.

She pointed to several different metrics evaluated by policymakers in reapproving the predator control program after it was halted last spring by a separate lawsuit. Among the data managers presented to the board, Del Frate said, was an estimated 19% increase in the Mulchatna herd’s population. The state needs to continue with aggressive bear culling this spring, she argued, for that trend to continue and not be prematurely “stunted.”

Sinnott raised a point made by critics asserting that managers have relied on shoddy data collection methods far below the standards of sound wildlife biology in justifying the Southwest bear culling.

The rebuttal to that criticism from the state during Friday’s hearing is that it is not the court’s job to evaluate the relative merits of data used by officials setting policy.

If the court agrees to an injunction, state crews would be legally barred from killing bears this season. Should the state prevail, however, aerial gunning could begin in mid-May and last approximately three weeks with no limit on the number of bears killed.

Zeman concluded Friday’s hearing by clarifying that his ruling “won’t be today, but it will be soon.”

The national nonprofit A Better Childhood is appealing the dismissal of a lawsuit against the Alaska Office of Children’s Services. Judge Sharon Gleason dismissed the federal class-action lawsuit in March.

The lawsuit was filed by the nonprofit, alleging foster children in state custody are at risk of harm because of systemic problems, and that the state violated federal laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act. Attorneys for the organization pointed to high caseloads for caseworkers and inadequate systems for hiring and training.

In her dismissal, Gleason wrote that attorneys from A Better Childhood didn’t prove that the foster youth whose stories were presented at trial were actually harmed or at serious risk of harm.

Marcia Lowry, the attorney who led the lawsuit against OCS said they’re appealing because the dismissal “focuses on the wrong issues” and “departs from long-standing precedent.”

Gleason’s decision is based on a “narrow and incorrect interpretation of whether the children have ‘legal standing’ to bring the case,” Lowry said.

She said the organization hopes to correct that legal error by appealing to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Tracy Dompeling, who heads the state’s Department of Family and Community Services, emailed a statement that said the nonprofit wasn’t able to show in court that the state is violating the federal rights of foster children. She said the state is working “with care and professionalism to keep the state’s most vulnerable children safe.”

RELATED: Alaska’s foster care system is among the worst in the nation. Can a lawsuit force real reform?

Korea Herald correspondent

SEATTLE — The cabin lights dim to a warm amber. A lantern glows softly beside the seat as a flight attendant pours a chilled glass of sparkling wine. A sliding door closes, and for a moment, the hum of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner fades away.

This is Alaska Airlines’ new international business-class suite, which debuted April 25 as part of the carrier’s long-haul rebrand.

The airline introduced the suite on its first long-haul international route, Seattle-Incheon, followed three days later by Seattle-Rome. Service to London begins May 21, with service to Reykjavik, Iceland, launching May 28.

Long known as the West Coast’s hometown carrier, Alaska Airlines is now positioning itself as a global airline, supported by its subsidiary Hawaiian Airlines and the Oneworld Alliance, connecting to more than 900 destinations worldwide.

“Alaska as a brand is new to long-haul, especially trans-Pacific or trans-Atlantic routes. Hawaiian is not,” Alex Judson, managing director of partnerships and international at Alaska Airlines, told The Korea Herald at the airline’s global training center. “Hawaiian has been serving Korea as well as Japan, Australia, New Zealand for many, many years. The beauty of the combination is that we’re leveraging those insights, the learnings, the expertise that the Hawaiian team has as we build this expansion.”

Suite built for sleep

Step into the cabin and the design language is unmistakably Pacific Northwest — muted earth tones, soft textures and a quiet, evergreen restraint. Each suite has a full-flat bed, a sliding privacy door and direct aisle access. An 18-inch HD screen offers more than 1,500 films and TV programs. Headphones from premium audio brand LSTN slip into a discreet stowage compartment alongside a mirror and a custom reusable Path Water bottle.

Two pillows sit on the seat: a wide, plush one for sleeping flat and a smaller pillow that doubles as neck support when upright. The mattress pad, cover and slippers are noticeably more substantial than competing carriers. A wireless charger, individual power ports and an armrest that lifts away round out the practical touches.

The amenity kit leans heavily on West Coast brands. The pouch comes from Filson, made exclusively for Alaska Airlines. Inside are skin care products from Salt & Stone.

Restaurant above Pacific

The food is where the new service tries hardest to set itself apart — and largely succeeds.

Service opens with a cheese and charcuterie platter sourced from Pacific Northwest favorites Beecher’s and Tillamook. The cashews are toasted and savory, the prosciutto restrained in salt, the dried apricots balanced against fresh, snappy grapes.

A cold asparagus soup arrives next, finished with toasted pine nuts. Then a green salad brightened by orange segments and tart green apple. Next came preordered Klingman Farms braised short rib, part of the Chef’s (Tray) Table menu developed with award-winning Seattle chef Brady Ishiwata Williams. Preordering is available through the Alaska Airlines app; the short ribs are popular enough to make planning ahead a necessity. The meat falls apart at the touch of a fork, served alongside Korean rice cakes used to make tteokbokki and topped with a balanced serrano jaew sauce that cuts cleanly through the braise.

Paired with the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Armillary Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 from Napa Valley — a wine rated 4.5 out of 5 on Vivino — the result is, frankly, divine.

The drink list reads like a West Coast cellar tour, anchored by Stag’s Leap and Roederer Champagne, with a curated selection of craft cocktails, beers and Stumptown coffee. For Korean travelers, the airline has added a JUMO mango, yuja and citrus mint soju cocktail, made with premium craft-distilled soju and real juice. It is bright and effervescent — more refreshing than potent — and a smart nod to the Incheon route.

Dessert is the showpiece. Alaska Airlines has wheeled aboard a Salt & Straw sundae cart. Vanilla bean ice cream, visibly speckled with seeds, is plated with the customer’s choice of toppings. An accompaniment of caramel drizzle and confetti cookie crumble was excellent.

“Salt & Straw is a really fantastic Portland-based company. We’ve been partnering with them for many years,” Judson said, referring to the Oregon city in the Pacific Northwest. “Now we can introduce travelers to that brand as well. Every single product you interact with on board has West Coast roots and origins.”

Approaching arrival, a second meal is served with a tart-sweet berry smoothie made from real blended fruit — exactly the right thing after a few hours of sleep.

Tailored Korean experience

One to two Korean-speaking flight attendants are assigned to the suite cabin on the Seattle-Incheon route, a small detail that matters. Korean banchan accompanies a gochujang chicken option among other main entrees, and Alaska Airlines works with chefs in Seoul to refine the menu.

“I love the gochujang that’s served on the meal platter,” Judson said. “We work with local chefs in Seoul to help us design the menu. We have a call center supporting our guests right there locally from Seoul.”

Ground game

Before boarding, business-class passengers are invited to Alaska Airlines’ newest North Satellite Lounge at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport — three connected zones built around floor-to-ceiling windows that frame arriving and departing aircraft. There is a full bar, a hot food station, dining tables, lounge chairs and dedicated workspace seating. An indoor fire pit anchors one corner — an unexpectedly cozy touch for a travel hub.

Passengers have access to the lounge and all Oneworld partner lounges. Oneworld Emerald members can use first-class lounges regardless of their booked cabin.

What’s next

Alaska Airlines plans to install Starlink-based high-speed Wi-Fi on its 787-9 Dreamliner fleet later this year, available free to users signed in to the airline’s Atmos Rewards loyalty program. Sign-up, available in multiple languages, opens the service to anyone.

A premium economy cabin is also in development for long-haul routes, including Incheon, with distinct West Coast-sourced amenities to be announced.

Alaska’s broader ambition, Judson said, is to operate 12 long-haul destinations from Seattle by 2030.

“We see ourselves being a global carrier and continuing to serve these amazing areas where we have our hubs,” he said. “Sustainability is really a key factor for Alaska Airlines.”

The airline is working with its Oneworld partners on joint procurement of sustainable aviation fuel, and the 787-9 fleet is among the most fuel-efficient long-haul aircraft flying.

Round-trip business suite fares range from 5.3 million to 7.7 million won ($3,560 to $5,180), depending on whether outbound and return travel fall on weekdays or weekends, before taxes and fuel surcharges.

For Korean travelers, the practical question is whether Alaska Airlines’ new product holds its own against established carriers on the Seoul-Seattle corridor. On the hard product — the suite, the bedding, the food — the answer is yes. The softer details — bilingual cabin crew, a menu that treats Korean food on its own terms and a soju cocktail — suggest Alaska Airlines has studied this market closely.

yoohong@heraldcorp.com